Calgary animal seizures double in 2014

Reid Southwick, Calgary Herald08.11.2014

Officers seized more than 30 dogs from a home in the southeast Calgary community of Acadia on May 13. Investigators seized more than 330 pets in distress during the first six months of 2014.Humane Society photo
/ Calgary Herald

Officers seized more than 30 dogs from a home in the southeast Calgary community of Acadia on May 13. Investigators seized more than 330 pets in distress during the first six months of 2014.Crystal Schick Crystal Schick

Officers seized more than 30 dogs from a home in the southeast Calgary community of Acadia on May 13. Investigators seized more than 330 pets in distress during the first six months of 2014.Crystal Schick Crystal Schick

Officers seized more than 30 dogs from a home in the southeast Calgary community of Acadia on May 13. Investigators seized more than 330 pets in distress during the first six months of 2014.Humane Society photo
/ Calgary Herald

Animal cruelty investigators seized more than 330 pets in distress during the first six months of the year — more than double the number seized last year — prompting one officer to declare 2014 “the year of the hoarder.”

The Calgary Humane Society has seen a spike in the number of legitimate concerns for animal welfare — rather than neighbours “trying to be petty,” said Brad Nichols, manager of the humane society’s animal cruelty investigations.

It means officers took 20 more pets into custody in the first six months of the year than in all of 2013.

“We’re seizing more animals in more cases than we would be generally because we’re running into more legitimate concerns rather than the neighbour that doesn’t like their neighbour and is trying to be petty,” Nichols said.

“It’s been the year of the hoarder,” he said.

Investigators responded to 689 reports of animals in distress between January and June, an increase of 100 cases, or almost 17 per cent, over the same period last year, according to the humane society.

The year is on pace to be the worst in the past five for distress calls, which include reports of abandonment, neglect and abuse, Nichols said.

The vast majority of these reports were necessary calls for service, and required officers to educate offenders or enforce animal protection laws.

The increase in legitimate calls has also led to the spike in seized animals.

Three mass seizures of animals this spring have driven up the Calgary Humane Society’s caseload.

Renowned dog shower Bev Creed is facing charges after officers removed 33 distressed dogs from her Acadia home in May. A neighbour reported a nauseating stench of urine and feces pouring from the home when officers seized the animals in varying conditions of health.

A few weeks earlier, the humane society removed more than 50 animals, including 20 that were already dead, from a Bowness home. Charges are pending against the owner of the home, where officers discovered snakes, bearded dragons, mice, birds, fish and a turtle. Animals that were still alive were severely malnourished and dehydrated, according to the humane society.

Around the same time, officers seized more than 30 cats in distress from a northwest Calgary home. Officers are still investigating the case, said Nichols, who declined to disclose details.

Nichols wondered whether the increase in legitimate reports of animals in distress is linked to the fact the humane society has regularly made headlines with animal care complaints, showing the public that they can report abuses, and which abuses they can report.

“Abandonment seems to be on a bit of a rise and medical neglect, historically, over the past six years or so has risen a little bit every year,” he said.

In the first seven months of the year, city crews responded to 456 reports of animals left inside vehicles, a jump over the 318 calls they received during the same period last year.

Still, very few of these calls resulted in charges. Between January and July, city officials issued 21 tickets and two warnings against violators who left their pets in vehicles without proper ventilation, in sweltering temperatures or in sub-zero conditions. Officials wrote 13 fines and gave five warnings last year.

Alberta SPCA, which enforces animal protection laws outside of Calgary and Edmonton, expects a near-record level of calls by the end of the year after receiving almost 1,200 in the first six months, a nine per cent jump over the same period in 2013.

“Last year, by the end of the year we had the second highest year ever for calls,” said Roland Lines, spokesman for the group.

“In the last two years, we are looking at increases, but it’s hard to say if that’s going to be a consistent trend.”

The SPCA expects roughly 2,300 calls by the end of December, roughly the same number it handled in 2009, a record-breaking year.

Lines estimated that approximately 20 per cent of reported cases are legitimate complaints, though not all violators are charged. Officers can work with animal care-takers to improve living conditions for the critters before taking the formal step of laying charges against those who do not comply.

“Our officers can remove animals when they think the owners are unable or unwilling to provide the animals with the care that they need at the time.”

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